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A new playground will appear at The Community YMCA’s Family Health and Wellness Center on November 2, courtesy of local sponsors and a crew of community volunteers.

Press release from The Community YMCA

Children at The Community YMCA’s Family Health and Wellness Center in Red Bank will be able to enjoy a new playground this fall, designed with input from kids and built by community volunteers with generous support from the nonprofit KaBOOM! and Good Neighbor Pharmacy.

“The Y is pleased to have been selected by KaBOOM! and Good Neighbor Pharmacy to receive a new playground,” said The Community YMCA President and CEO Rhonda Anderson. “We are dedicated to nurturing the development of children, and we know how important it is for all children to have a safe place to learn, grow and thrive.”

The new playground will be built by Y volunteers and members of the local community on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Health and Wellness Center, located at 166 Maple Avenue. Approximately 100 community volunteers will be needed at the “Community Build Day” to work alongside organizers from KaBOOM! and employees from Good Neighbor Pharmacy, said Christian Buckman of Oceanport, a member of the Y Board of Management, who is leading the playground Planning Committee.

Similar to an old-fashioned barn-raising, the playground will be built in about six hours with plenty of food and water available for volunteers that will be provided by local businesses, Buckman said. There will also be fun activities throughout the day for children of volunteers.

“Volunteers don’t need any special building experience,” Buckman said, “just time and energy to spend the day with neighbors creating a lasting play space for children at the Y.”

Y kids got to share their ideas for the playground at a Design Day on Sept. 3 hosted by the Y, KaBOOM! and Good Neighbor Pharmacy. About 40 children put crayon to paper and drew their dream playgrounds, which were shared with the Planning Committee. Elements of their drawings have been incorporated into the final design for the playground.

Linda Ambis, Vice President of Health and Wellness for The Community YMCA, said the Y is grateful for the addition of a new playground, which will give kids more opportunities to be active. “What makes this project special is the fact that it brings the community together to benefit our children.”

Ambis said the Y’s health and wellness center serves over 1,600 youth and teens from throughout Monmouth County. As an organization dedicated to youth development, the center provides a wide range of programs that nurture the potential of children, from swim lessons and sports to arts enrichment and leadership.